Vanished
by abbywesten
Summary: DiNozzo and McGee disappear without a trace. Will Gibbs find them in time? Tony/Tim friendship. No slash.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Tony/Tim friendship, no slash. I don't own NCIS, yadda yadda. Please read and review! I love reviews! -abby

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This was wrong. He didn't know how he'd gotten here, but he knew that "here" wasn't anywhere good. Tony slowly pried open his eyes and tried – unsuccessfully - to look around. The room was pitch black. The only thing he could tell for sure was that he was tied up, lying on his side on the cold, damp floor. And was that someone lying against him?

"Hello?" Tony's voice sounded strange and echoed in the dark room. "Who's there?"

The body lying next to him shifted slightly and moaned. "Tony? Is that you?" McGee asked groggily.

"Yeah, Probie, it's me. Where are we? Do you remember anything?" Tony tried to recall what he had been doing before waking up in this place but wasn't coming up with much. "We were at the Navy Yard…?" He trailed off, and closed his eyes. _Head hurts…didn't notice that before_, he thought.

"I don't know. We were going to Norfolk, right? For…something? I can't quite remember…" Tim sounded as confused as Tony felt.

Tony spoke slowly, thinking out loud. "That's right, we were on the way to Norfolk and then we smelled something weird. There was some sort of gas coming out of the air conditioning vents…but I don't remember anything after that…"

The two agents were so lost in thought that they didn't hear the footsteps until the door flew open and the room was flooded in light. They winced as their eyes adjusted to the sudden change.

"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Special Agent Timothy McGee. So nice to have you here with us." The voice was muffled by the ski mask their captor wore over his face.

"What do you want?" Tony demanded. His only answer was a sharp kick to the ribs. The senior agent gasped and drew his knees into his chest. Tim cringed in sympathy.

"What I _want_ is not important. What I _have_ is the important thing. And I have two agents from NCIS. Two of the best, from what I understand. You work for one Leroy Jethro Gibbs, is that correct?" When he didn't immediately get a response, the man kicked DiNozzo in the chest once more. There was a dull crack as one of Tony's ribs gave under the blow. The agent bit his lip to stifle a cry of pain, refusing to give his attacker the satisfaction.

"Maybe you should learn some respect. It's very rude to ignore someone who asked you a question." Their captor's tone became dangerous as he knelt beside DiNozzo. "Someone could get hurt." Then he stood and abruptly left the room, locking the door behind him.

"At least he left the lights on this time," Tim said, as he struggled to sit upright. It wasn't easy with his hands tightly bound behind his back, but after some grunting and rolling he made it. "Tony, you're bleeding," the junior agent said with concern.

"Hm," Tony said, still trying to catch his breath after having the wind knocked out of him a second time.

"You've got a really bad gash on your arm. I need to get my hands free." Tim looked around for something that would help him cut through the ropes binding his wrists. There was a metal bed frame in the corner that seemed promising. Tim scooted backwards across the floor until he reached it. It took quite a while for him to wear through the tight bindings, but once he had done so he crawled back over to Tony.

DiNozzo rolled toward his stomach so that McGee could untie him, moaning softly as the movement put pressure on his newly injured ribs. Tim quickly freed the senior agent and helped him sit against the wall. Tony leaned his head back and kept his eyes closed. Once the senior agent was settled, Tim gently examined his left arm. There was a ragged tear starting from Tony's wrist that reached almost to his elbow.

"It's pretty bad, Tony. You'll definitely need stitches whenever we get out of here." For now, the best McGee could do was to tear a few strips of fabric off his shirt and try to slow the bleeding. Tony sat quietly under the younger man's ministrations, whimpering slightly when McGee pulled the makeshift bandages tight. When Tim was done, he leaned against the wall next to his partner.

"You know, you don't look so hot either, Probie." Tony quietly pointed out. "It looks like you hit your head. I wish I could remember how we ended up here." He closed his eyes again, trying to recall anything beyond the odd smell in the car. "We must have been drugged."

Tim nodded. "Did we run off the road? If we crashed that would explain your arm and my head." He kind of wished Tony hadn't pointed out his head injury. He hadn't noticed the throbbing before.

"Maybe. I guess the bigger question is, where are we?" Tony slowly hauled himself upright, keeping his injured arm carefully tucked into his chest as he used the wall for support. "There's got to be a way out of here." He walked the perimeter of the tiny cell, which wasn't bigger than ten feet square. "No windows, nothing. Not even a doorknob on this side," he said thoughtfully.

McGee looked defeated. "Now what?"

Tony wasn't worried. "Now we wait for Gibbs. Don't worry, Probie. He'll find us."


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs was worried. DiNozzo and McGee should have reached Norfolk by now. Technically they should have been there an hour ago. There had been no phone call, not even a text message to let Gibbs know that they had been delayed. Right about now, the lead agent's infamous gut was screaming a warning.

"Ziva!" he bellowed. "Call Norfolk. See if they checked in at the gate."

Ziva had been working for Gibbs long enough to know that he wasn't angry at her. He was worried about his agents and truth be told, she was too. "On it," she said, phone already in her hand. It didn't take long for her to confirm what Gibbs already knew – Tony and Tim had not arrived at the naval station.

"Where are they?" The question was rhetorical, grumbled under Gibbs' breath as he headed for Abby's lab. _Maybe she can locate them with those GPS phone doodads. DiNozzo would have checked in by now if he could have._ Gibbs was even more worried than Ziva had assumed. He was still lost in thought as he entered the forensics lab.

"Gibbs! What are you doing here? I don't have anything for you!" Abby greeted him cheerfully.

"Abbs. I need you to trace DiNozzo or McGee's cell phone." Gibbs didn't offer any further explanation.

The Goth scientist's eyes grew wide. "Why?! What's wrong? Please tell me Tony didn't get lost again. I swear, I am going to put a GPS chip in his neck whether he likes it or not."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Abbs. Just trace their phones."

Abby looked at him for another moment before she turned to her computer and started the search. "You're really worried, aren't you Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Abbs. I really am." Gibbs would not admit that to just anyone, but he knew that Abby adored both McGee and DiNozzo and she was equally concerned.

"This…this is not good, Gibbs. I can't get anything on McGee's phone at all and Tony's isn't moving. It's just sitting there, near the car." Abby chewed on her bottom lip.

"Near the car? What do you mean, near the car?" Gibbs didn't follow.

"Well, they were in an NCIS-issued vehicle, so it's tagged with a GPS chip like the phones. I traced it and the car is just sitting about 10 miles outside Norfolk. It looks like it's close by a stream?" Abby tilted her head to one side, squinting at the monitor.

Gibbs had his phone out before she even finished the sentence. "Ziva, grab your gear. It's time to go."

Abby caught the lead agent's arm as he turned to leave. Her eyes were bright with tears. "You have to find them, Gibbs."

"I will, Abbs. I will." Gibbs nodded sharply and hurried out of the lab.


	3. Chapter 3

After finishing his inspection of their prison, Tony eased himself back down the wall next to Tim. He cradled his injured arm against his body. _God, that hurts_, he thought. C_an barely move the damn thing. _

"You doing okay, Probie?" Tony was worried about McGee. Tim had been sitting completely motionless for the last five minutes, eyes shut, head leaning against the cold concrete wall.

Tim opened his eyes. "Yeah, Tony. I'm okay. Head hurts, though."

"I'm not surprised. That's quite a bump you have there." Tony suspected a concussion. He'd had enough of them himself to recognize the symptoms. "We should probably try and keep you awake. The last thing I need is for you to fall into a coma on me or something." The attempt at levity was not lost on McGee, even in his fog. The younger agent smiled weakly.

"No coma, I promise. I honestly didn't even realize how much my head was hurting until you said something about it. I'm fine, just wishing we were anywhere but here." Tim closed his eyes again. "Are you cold? It's really cold."

Tony had indeed noticed the chill. Between his broken rib and plague-scarred lungs, the cold damp air was not helping him breathe any easier. Tony had also noticed that in addition to their belts, SIGs, phones and shoes, they had been stripped of their NCIS-issue jackets. "Yeah, I'm cold too. I don't think our friend intends to keep us all that comfortable." DiNozzo carefully settled himself closer to McGee, so that their shoulders were touching. "Guess we'll have to rely on body heat, Probie," he teased.

"Guess so. How's your arm, Tony?" McGee abruptly changed the subject, looking pointedly at DiNozzo's shredded left arm. Blood was slowly soaking through the strips of fabric, and Tim was worried about infection.

Tony had just opened his mouth to answer when they heard footsteps approaching. He tried to get to his feet before the door swung open, but didn't quite make it. Their masked captor stormed into the room before either agent could react.

"Ah, so you managed to untie yourselves. I figured it wouldn't take you long. So which one of you is going to come with me? I'll let you decide." The man stood with his arms folded, looking between the two agents.

Tony spoke up first, his stubborn streak evident in his words. "No thanks. I think we'll stay right here for now. What do you think, McGee?" Tim nodded in response to Tony's firm declaration.

"I heard you were the difficult one." The man's voice once again took on a dangerous tone. He slowly knelt down until he was close enough for Tony to smell his foul breath, even through the thick ski mask. "I don't find you amusing."

Tony let out an obnoxious laugh that was punctuated by a harsh cough. "Good thing I wasn't trying to amuse you, then." He felt McGee tense up next to him. _Take it easy, Probie,_ Tony thought. _Stay cool. We can't let him think we're scared._

Without warning, their kidnapper reached out and grabbed DiNozzo by his wounded left arm. Tony couldn't stifle the shout of pain and surprise as he was roughly pulled upright and slammed against the concrete wall. "Like I said before, you should learn some respect before someone gets hurt." After keeping Tony momentarily pinned, the man abruptly let go. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the cell without another word.

McGee caught his partner as best he could, by moving over underneath the taller man to cushion the fall somewhat. In spite of the effort, Tony moaned as his battered ribs were jolted by the sudden stop. "Easy," Tim murmured as he extricated himself and lay Tony gently on the floor. "You okay? Can you breathe?" When DiNozzo didn't answer right away, Tim busied himself by checking on Tony's injured arm. Their captor's rough treatment had reopened the gash and it was bleeding freely once more. "This is going to hurt, Tony. I'm sorry," Tim didn't think the warning was necessary as the senior agent had clearly lost consciousness, but he kept talking anyway. "I'm going to re-bandage your arm. It's bleeding again. I just wish I had some water to clean it up. I know it's bad, Tony. You hang on, okay?" Tim was far more worried about his friend than his calm tone revealed. As he spoke, he tore a few more strips out of his shirttail and carefully wrapped them around the ugly gash, tying it off as tightly as he dared. Tony had already lost far too much blood if his pale complexion was any indication.

Tim finished with what he knew was completely inadequate first aid, but given the lack of resources it was all he could do. He gently laid the injured arm back across Tony's chest, and sat miserably against the wall, closing his eyes against the pounding in his skull. _Hang on, Tony,_ he thought. _You said yourself, Gibbs is coming for us. I'm holding you to that._


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: More Tony and Tim in the next chapter, promise. I know they aren't as interesting but I have to include these scenes with Gibbs and Ziva to move the plot along! I do know where I'm going with this story but I'm open to suggestions, and reviews are always welcome! -abby

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Gibbs cut the drive time to Norfolk to almost half the usual. Once they arrived at Abby's provided GPS coordinates, he brought the car to a screeching halt on the shoulder of the highway. As he looked down the embankment the missing NCIS vehicle was visible, having run off the road into a shallow creek.

Ziva and Gibbs leapt out of the car and ran, terrified of what they might find. DiNozzo and McGee where nowhere to be found, but the front car doors were both open and a cell phone lay half-buried in the mud as though it had fallen from someone's pocket. Ziva immediately began taking photos as Gibbs carefully picked up and bagged the phone.

Once they looked inside the car their fears were realized. The driver's seat and steering wheel were covered in glass and blood, and there were clear traces of blood on the passenger side dashboard as well. The driver's door was badly damaged and a twisted piece of metal stuck out at an awkward angle. Gibbs' heart seized when he saw the thick coating of blood on the jagged metal. _Oh, God, Tony,_ he thought. _What have you gotten yourself into now?_ Gibbs knew very well that DiNozzo would never have let McGee drive all the way to Norfolk. He was constantly teasing the junior agent about driving like an old man and didn't have the patience to ride long distances as a passenger.

Swiftly and silently the two teammates swabbed the blood and carefully bagged any relevant evidence.

"Gibbs." Ziva's voice was quiet. "We need to get these blood samples back to Abby for analysis."

"Go. I'm not leaving. I'll call the local LEOs to tow the car. Get the samples to Abby. I'm going to canvass the area, there has to be a witness." Gibbs' instructions were clear, but Ziva hesitated.

_Someone planned this_, Gibbs thought. _This was no accident._ He could not shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong, that he was missing something vital._ It's bad, I know it._

"Maybe you should come back with me, it is unlikely that there were witnesses. This is a major highway and there are no businesses or homes nearby…" Ziva trailed off at the look on her boss' face. "I will go and take these samples to Abby."

Gibbs nodded shortly. "Call me when you get back to the Navy Yard." He wasn't going to take chances with any other members of his team. Just then, DiNozzo's cell phone beeped to indicate an incoming message. Ziva started, evidence bag in hand. She looked at Gibbs, awaiting his instructions.

"Open it," he said. If this was related to his missing agents, there was no time to waste worrying about the chain of evidence.

_I have them_, was all the message said. Gibbs didn't hesitate. "Go, Ziva. Hurry. Maybe Abby can trace the source." There was no further hesitation. Within seconds, the Mossad officer had run up the embankment and was headed back to Washington in a blur of smoke and burning rubber.

After Ziva left, Gibbs finished processing the scene before sitting down to wait on the LEOs. There was nothing that made it immediately obvious who had kidnapped his agents, and he knew that Ziva was right about the possibility of a witness. He could only hope that Abby was more successful. _Just hang on, DiNozzo. I'm coming for you. You and McGee, just hold on._

The sound of approaching sirens brought Gibbs to his feet. He mentally prepared himself to make nice and brief the LEOs. 

Sergeant Whitten, Norfolk PD, was the officer that arrived to escort Gibbs to the station. Whitten greeted the lead NCIS agent with a nod. "I thought you might like to know, we just received word of a 4-wheel drive truck leaving this area in a hurry a few hours ago. It may or may not be related, but we're checking it out."

Gibbs knew that the report was involved somehow, and he again hoped that they would get a break in the case sooner rather than later. His gut told him that Tony and Tim were running out of time.


	5. Chapter 5

Tim blearily opened his eyes to find that during his nap he had slipped down the wall. He was now curled up on the freezing concrete floor next to Tony. He struggled to sit up and was about to check on his ailing friend when he noticed the green eyes watching him.

"Hey, Probie." Tony's voice was weak and raspy, but he sounded lucid enough. "Help me up, would ya?" He offered his healthy right arm for Tim to grasp and together they maneuvered the senior agent into a sitting position. The activity left them both gasping and they leaned back into their now-familiar spots against the wall. It was a few minutes before either could speak again.

Tony spoke first, although now each phrase was punctuated with a shuddering breath. "How…ya doing…Probie? Head okay?"

McGee snorted. "Tony. You've lost a lot of blood and your arm is probably infected. Plus you can hardly breathe. And you're worried about how I'm doing?"

"You hit…your…head, Probie…have concussion." Tony hated to admit it, but the junior agent was right. It was getting harder and harder for him to get enough air. His broken rib screamed each time he tried to take a breath, and his chest was feeling more constricted with each passing minute. It was something he'd felt before, and after his long recovery from the plague it was something he had hoped to never feel again. _Can't stay here much longer. It's too cold,_ Tony thought. He knew that he'd have an easier time breathing if he could just get warm.

His reverie was interrupted by Tim, who said "I'm fine, but let me take a look at your arm again." Tony did not want to reveal how relentlessly his arm was throbbing, but he figured there was little point in trying to hide the truth from his friend. Tim already knew it was bad.

"I'll be gentle, Tony. Just let me see." The younger man carefully unwrapped the ragged, bloody dressings to reveal the mess beneath. Unfortunately, McGee's prediction had been correct – the arm was swollen, red and hot to the touch, although it had stopped bleeding. It was clearly infected and as cautious as he was, Tony still flinched at the contact.

"We have to get out of here, Tony. We need to get you to a hospital." Tim's voice was heavy with worry as he gently replaced the makeshift bandages.

DiNozzo almost laughed at the absurd proposition. "Go? And where…do you think...we can go…Probie? No windows...no doorknob…I can't…run…or fight…" Tony blinked slowly, trying to collect his thoughts. _He has a point, but I'm so tired…and so cold…_

McGee was insistent. "Think about it, Tony. Have you heard any indication that this guy has an accomplice? I don't think we're being guarded, and he just leaves the door open when he comes in. He's alone, I'm almost sure of it. If we can overpower him we can lock him in here and escape."

Tony considered that. He had not seen or heard anyone else either. The senior agent gathered all his strength and said "Good thinking, Probie. Maybe he'll come back soon and we can take him out. In the meantime…" he trailed off and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

While DiNozzo fitfully dozed, McGee busied himself by considering the options. _Probably best to just go for it as soon as he steps inside, Tim thought. Catch him totally off guard._ He looked at the man sleeping next to him. _ I'll have to knock the guy out long enough to get Tony out of here. No way will he make it on his own. I just hope I can buy us enough time_…Tim's planning was interrupted by the sound of tumblers in a lock. Their captor had returned.

McGee quickly rose to his feet and readied himself to attack the instant he had an opening. He only had a second, and as soon as the man was entirely inside he took his chance and launched himself toward the door. The gamble paid off. The unexpected attack caught the masked man off balance and McGee easily slammed him into the wall.

Adrenaline pumping, Tim spun back toward Tony before their captor even slid down to the floor. To his surprise, his partner had somehow found the strength to stand on his own two feet. He was swaying, left arm held tightly across his chest, but he remained upright. McGee rushed to his side.

"Way to go, Tim," DiNozzo panted. "Let's blow this popsicle stand. Check his pockets." He waved his good hand in the direction of the deeply unconscious man.

Tim helped his partner over to the door, where Tony leaned against the wall and waited as McGee dug through the man's pockets looking for anything of interest. He found a set of keys, but not much else. Tim pulled the ski mask off, but neither he nor Tony recognized the man. They exchanged a glance and shrugged.

"His boots, Probie. We don't have shoes, remember?" Tony pointed out. "Put 'em on, you'll need them more than me." Tim didn't quite follow that logic but obeyed nonetheless. The boots were a little snug but would be much better protection than just socks.

"Come on, Tony, let's go." McGee stood up and placed Tony's uninjured arm across his shoulders, wrapping his own arm around the senior agent's waist for support. They stepped out into a dark hallway, lit only by a bare bulb dangling from a ceiling strut. Tim locked the cell door behind them and the pair slowly shuffled in the direction of a ladder several yards away.

"Underground?" Tony puffed, already short of breath from the exertion.

McGee squinted down the hall toward the ladder. "Yeah, I guess so." Now that the adrenaline rush was gone, Tim's head was pounding miserably and he was having a hard time focusing. "You go up first, Tony. If you fall I can catch you."

Tony shook his head. "No…one arm…can't open the hatch. You go first. I'll be okay," he gasped for breath between words.

Tim realized that Tony was right. Given his current situation, there was no way that DiNozzo would be able to hold onto the ladder and open the heavy trapdoor at the same time. Of course, Tim couldn't see all that well at the moment but they didn't exactly have a lot of choices. McGee climbed the ladder and once balanced at the top, reached over his head and forced the heavy door upwards. It creaked and protested but finally swung open and landed with a clang on the ground outside. McGee hauled himself up through the hole and flopped over the side, coming to rest in a small clearing.

Once Tim was successfully out of the underground prison, Tony started up the ladder. He kept his agonizingly painful left arm tucked into his chest and out of his way as he climbed. It was a slow process, balancing on each rung and hurriedly grabbing up for the next with his one good hand. Each movement pulled at his broken rib painfully and he grunted with the effort.

McGee lay on his stomach and reached as far down as he could to help DiNozzo. He grabbed the senior agent by the back of his shirt and pulled. Tony groaned loudly as he negotiated the last two rungs and, with Tim's assistance, awkwardly struggled his way onto the forest floor. It was no easy feat to avoid further injuring himself but he somehow managed, finally collapsing in a heap next to Tim.

The two agents lay side by side, eyes closed as they gasped for air. Tim pulled himself together and crawled over to close the trapdoor. He looked around, surveying the area as best he could with his blurred vision. There did not appear to be anything worth seeing except for a lot of trees.

"Come on, Tony. We can't stay here. We have to find help." McGee glanced over at his friend who had not responded - or moved at all - since landing on the moss-covered ground. "Tony? Can you hear me?" Tim was growing more concerned by the second. "Tony!"

Finally the junior agent received a response. Tony moaned and moved his lips, although Tim could not understand his words. He leaned closer to his injured friend. "Go, Probie. I'll just slow you down," Tony's words were barely a whisper.

"I'm not leaving you and that's final. You're coming with me or I'm not going anywhere." McGee managed to put a note of defiance over the exhaustion in his voice. "You can make it, Tony. I'll help you." He decided to try a different tactic. "Besides, Gibbs will kill me if I leave you here alone."

The words had the intended effect. DiNozzo visibly rallied and managed to sit up with McGee's help. "You're…right. Let's go." He was still having a difficult time breathing, but he pushed the pain aside.

McGee realized that he didn't have a clue as to the time, but for now it was still light outside. He decided to be thankful for that much at least. He hauled Tony to his feet once more and slowly they set off into the forest.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews!! I really enjoy the Tony/Tim friendship angle and wish that we saw more of it on the show…keeping my fingers crossed for Season 7. Anyway, thanks again for the reviews and alerts! Hope you enjoy this chapter! -abby

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McGee was utterly miserable. He wasn't sure how long they'd been trudging through the woods but he suspected it had only been a few minutes. It seemed like an eternity. His head was throbbing mercilessly and he was honestly beginning to wish that they had just stayed in the tiny underground cell. _At least it wasn't raining in there,_ he mused. _Should have thought to grab the guy's jacket along with his boots. Of course, I didn't count on hiking through the damn forest either. Where the hell are we?_

DiNozzo shivered and coughed as he leaned heavily on Tim. The two agents stumbled on in silence for another few moments, each supporting the other, until Tony suddenly dropped to his knees. The senior agent shook his head and gasped, "Can't…breathe…please…" His attempt at speaking was punctuated by a bout of harsh coughing. McGee knelt beside him as the fit subsided.

"Let's rest for a few minutes. I need to get my bearings anyway." Tim was concerned by Tony's deathly white pallor, and the bluish tint to his friend's lips positively terrified the younger man. He had seen DiNozzo look like that once before…with an effort McGee quashed the memory. That sort of thinking wasn't going to help them in the here and now.

Tim helped his rapidly weakening partner sit against a tree. While Tony was gasping and cradling his badly infected arm, Tim used the break to try and formulate a plan. He didn't understand where their captor could have possibly gone between trips to the underground bunker. There had not been an obvious path leading to the clearing, and there certainly was no trace of a building or even a vehicle. _I'm missing something,_ Tim thought in frustration. _Either we're not that far from the road, or he has something hidden around here. Maybe a cabin or a car.._.

McGee squinted at his surroundings. The concussion was still affecting his vision and everything was fuzzy around the edges. The misting rain wasn't helping matters any, and he feverishly hoped that there were some daylight hours left. The air was already very chilly and Tim did not relish the idea of still being outside when the sun went down. And there was no way that Tony would survive if it got too much colder. He glanced over at DiNozzo, who had drifted into a restless sleep.

_I don't know what to do,_ Tim thought desperately through his splitting headache. _I don't know what time it is or if we can make it much further. Or if there's even anywhere to make it __**to**__. I can't see straight, he's in really bad shape…we don't have any food or drinking water…come on, Boss. Now would be a good time. _He was beginning to panic but knew that wouldn't help. McGee took a deep breath and made a valiant attempt to settle his nerves. He massaged his temples and winced as he hit a particularly tender spot. He leaned against the tree next to his shivering friend.

Tim finally concluded that he simply could not see well enough to figure out which way to go. His instincts told him they needed to get moving again but he did not want to just choose a direction at random – they had already wasted precious time and energy by blindly stumbling this far. He hated to wake DiNozzo so soon but couldn't come up with a better alternative.

"Hey, Tony. Wake up. I need your help." Tim gently shook the sleeping man by the shoulder. "Tony!"

DiNozzo groggily came to and coughed. His green eyes momentarily reflected confusion. "Probie?" He struggled into a more comfortable position. "What's going on?" Those few words triggered another lengthy coughing fit. McGee helped Tony sit upright and vigorously patted him on the back until the wracking coughs subsided.

"Easy, Tony. Slow breaths. You know the drill." Tim coached, recalling the senior agent's recovery from the plague. "Slow and easy."

Once Tony finally got his ragged breathing under control, he nodded for Tim to continue.

"Okay. My vision is really bad, everything's blurry and I'm seeing double. If you can see all right I need you to look around. Tell me if there's anything unusual. Is there a path or a building?" Tim kept talking as Tony carefully scrutinized the area. "I just can't figure out how he got us to such a remote spot without a vehicle of some sort. It has to be here, I'm just missing it. There's no way he could have carried us both into the middle of the woods without help."

After a thorough visual inspection, Tony decided that it wasn't just Tim's concussion. There really was not much to see. They were completely surrounded by trees, and there was no evidence of a trail, well-traveled or otherwise. He took a careful, shallow breath before saying "There's…nothing, Probie. Just…trees. But I…hear something." He tilted his head and listened, trying to stifle the cough he again felt at the back of his throat.

Tim was not terribly surprised that he could not hear anything besides normal forest sounds. DiNozzo had proven time and again that he had far superior hearing to the junior agent. However, as McGee sat quietly the noise became much closer and he heard it too.

The two agents realized at the same time what they were hearing. It was the sound of twigs snapping in the undergrowth. Someone was coming.


	7. Chapter 7

Gibbs was livid. He'd been at the Norfolk police station for several hours now and there was still no word on his agents. He had just spoken with Abby, who had been unable to get any useful information out of DiNozzo's cell phone. All she could tell Gibbs was that the incoming text message had originated from McGee's missing phone. And that phone had evidently been switched on only long enough to send the message, because even though she had been monitoring continuously there had not been sufficient time for her to trace the signal. So far, none of the other evidence Ziva brought had yielded anything helpful either. DiNozzo and McGee had been missing for almost sixteen hours and they had nothing but dead ends.

There was one piece of news that had the forensic scientist beside herself. She had confirmed that the blood all over the driver's seat and the twisted shard of metal belonged to Tony. The traces of blood on the passenger side of the dashboard were Tim's. "Gibbs!" Abby had sobbed. "They're hurt! Tony's lost way too much blood, this is bad Gibbs! This is very very bad!" Gibbs had consoled her as much as possible before hanging up, but he was just as worried. If not more so.

After getting off the phone, Gibbs returned to stalking the halls of the station like a caged tiger. It was taking an unacceptably long time for Norfolk PD to run down the lead on the truck. Finally he decided that he was done being patient.

"HEY!" The furious NCIS agent slammed his fist down on Sergeant Whitten's desk. "What is taking so long?! I haven't heard from my agents in almost sixteen hours! They are both injured – at least one of them severely – and your people are dragging ass! What happened to that lead you told me about hours ago?!"

Whitten was unruffled by Gibbs' outburst. He understood the man's frustration. Unfortunately, the lead on the 4-wheel drive vehicle had yet to pan out. The eyewitness had not gotten a tag number, and could remember only that the truck was late-model and dark in color. Thousands of trucks in the area fit that description. It was going to take time, and again Whitten calmly reminded the agent of that fact.

Gibbs collapsed into a chair and ran his hands through already disheveled silver hair. "Is there anything I can do to move things along?" he asked for the millionth time.

The sergeant sighed, and responded the same way he had for the last several hours. "No, we're doing everything we can. I promise. There's a hotel right down the road, why don't you catch a quick nap? I'll call you immediately if there's any news."

Unsurprisingly, Gibbs refused and opted instead to go back to pacing. Sergeant Whitten shook his head bemusedly. Just then his phone rang. Gibbs heard the sound and raced back to the sergeant's desk as Whitten answered.

"Yes, yes, okay." The NPD officer took some notes as he listened to the caller. "Okay, very good. Thank you, Lieutenant."

Whitten disconnected the call and turned to face Gibbs. "They've found the truck abandoned. It's not far from where your agents crashed. The truck belongs to a drifter that's been hanging around these parts lately." He checked the notepad in his hand. "A man named John Allen Bankston."

Gibbs started at the name. "Bankston?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

At Whitten's nod, Gibbs turned on his heel and headed for the door. "We need to go. Now!" The sergeant beckoned for two patrolmen to join them as he followed the agent out to the parking lot.

On the way Gibbs quickly explained that several years before he had put away a murderer by the name of Henry Bankston. His older brother, John Allen, had a history of violence and had been in and out of mental institutions since before Henry was arrested. At his brother's sentencing John Allen had fought his way past security to catch up with Gibbs. Before being dragged away, the furious man had sworn if anything happened to his brother in prison that he would exact his revenge.

Gibb's mouth was set in a grim line as he finished his story. "Henry Bankston was killed by another inmate three weeks ago."


	8. Chapter 8

There was no time to think. Tim was moving solely on instinct when he swiftly pulled Tony to his feet and threw his partner's good arm around his shoulders once more. Although he tried, Tony wasn't entirely successful in his attempt to stifle the gasp of pain the movement caused. McGee hesitated for a fraction of a second.

"Go!" DiNozzo hissed. Tim took off in the opposite direction of the sound, dragging Tony along with him. The senior agent tried to carry as much of his own weight as he could, but unfortunately he was too weak to do much more than stumble alongside the junior agent. Without benefit of shoes, his feet were as painful as the rest of him and Tony knew he was slowing McGee down considerably. _There's no point in both of us getting killed_, he decided. Tony struggled out of Tim's firm grip. "Leave me," he gasped through his coughs. "Go!"

Tim responded by pausing only long enough to heft the taller man over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. _I'm sorry, Tony,_ he thought desperately. _I know it hurts but if we get out of this you can kill me later. _McGee had never been so terrified, though he couldn't tell how much of the fear was for himself and how much of it was for his sick and injured friend. He ran as quickly as he could through the dense forest growth, but between the wet ground, his concussion and the added weight of DiNozzo he knew it wasn't fast enough. There was no way he could outrun whoever was chasing them. It didn't stop him from trying.

For his part, DiNozzo stayed still. While he was pissed at the younger agent for refusing to save himself, now he didn't have a choice in the matter. He knew that any shift of his weight could throw Tim off balance and bring them both to the ground. Tony closed his eyes for a few seconds - watching the trees bounce along was making him nauseated. Combined with the pain his current mode of transportation was causing, he was about to be sick. _Sorry, Probie_, he thought. _I'll try not to puke on you. _He laughed inwardly at the ridiculous thought. _My whole body feels like it's on fire, we're being chased through the forest, and I'm thinking about puke?_

The senior field agent's ruminations – absurd or otherwise - came to an abrupt halt when the ground suddenly came rushing toward him. McGee had tripped over a tree root. DiNozzo watched in helpless horror as the younger man's head came into contact with a large rock. There was a sickening crack and Tim instantly stilled.

Tony carefully rolled off of the now limp and motionless junior agent. "Probie?" he gasped. "Probie! Come on…please…" Tony panted desperately as he felt for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there, and DiNozzo nearly collapsed from relief.

Tony's euphoria was short-lived when he realized that their pursuer was almost on top of them. Somehow he used a combination of fear, anger and adrenaline to push himself off the ground with his good right hand. He used a nearby tree for balance and managed to stay upright. _Sure wish I had a gun right about now. Or my knife. Hell, I'd settle for two good arms, _he thought miserably.

Just then a figure came rushing out of the trees. DiNozzo didn't hesitate. He launched forward with every ounce of strength left in his battered body.

Bankston grunted as DiNozzo rammed into him full-force._ How did he get out of that cell?_ Tony wondered briefly, but he did not have time to dwell on it. The two struggled and wrestled on the forest floor, but Tony's strength was waning fast. He was growing weaker by the second, but putting up a good fight until Bankston got hold of his shredded left arm. That action was Tony's undoing.

DiNozzo yelled in pain and tried to free himself from the agonizingly tight grasp. He looked into Bankston's dark eyes as they grappled and was startled by the murderous intent he saw there. _This is it,_ Tony thought. _Time's up, DiNozzo. No one's going to save your sorry ass now. I'm sorry, Probie, _he thought with regret._ I tried_.

As they continued to struggle, Bankston used his free hand to pull out a knife. Tony weakly grabbed for it but his assailant managed to rake the blade across his left bicep. The sound of Tony's own ragged scream was the last thing he heard before losing consciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

Fortunately the abandoned vehicle was not far from the Norfolk police station. They arrived within minutes, and Gibbs hardly waited until the patrol car came to a stop before jumping out. He and the three NPD officers had just begun their sweep of the area when they heard yelling from within the dense trees.

_I know that voice,_ thought Gibbs. _Tony._ He pulled his SIG and took off toward the sound at a dead run, followed closely by Whitten and his patrolmen.

The rasping yells stopped, only to be followed soon after by a pain-filled scream. Gibbs' heart skipped a beat as he burst through some thick brush to discover his own worst nightmare.

Henry Bankston was crouched over DiNozzo, viciously pinning the unconscious agent to the ground. He held a blood-covered knife aloft and was clearly seconds from plunging it back into his hostage.

Bankston never got the opportunity. Gibbs double-tapped him through the heart without an instant's hesitation and was headed toward his fallen agent before Bankston even hit the ground. As he knelt beside DiNozzo he saw Whitten doing the same with McGee, who was sprawled out nearby. Gibbs was vaguely aware of one of the uniformed officers calling for paramedics.

For one horrible moment, Gibbs thought he was too late. The entire left side of Tony's upper body was covered in blood, and he was disturbingly pale and still. Gibbs faltered but soon located a thready pulse and established that DiNozzo was breathing, if shallowly. He sighed with relief and looked toward Sergeant Whitten for a report on Tim.

"He's alive," Whitten confirmed, "but it looks like he hit his head pretty bad. I think he's stable though." Gibbs nodded gratefully and returned full attention to his charge.

"DiNozzo. You with me?" Gibbs tapped his senior agent gently on the cheek, hoping to rouse the younger man. "Tony."

When he got no response, he continued his careful examination and located the source of the fresh blood – a six-inch gash along Tony's bicep was bleeding sluggishly. Gibbs pulled out his handkerchief and cautiously tried to staunch the flow, noticing as he did so that the same arm was tightly bound in blood-covered fabric from the wrist to the elbow.

Gibbs' mouth tightened as he realized that must have been the source of all the blood in the NCIS vehicle. He kept applying pressure to the new wound and DiNozzo stirred faintly. His eyes opened a crack.

"Boss?" Tony was so weak and short of breath that he could barely be heard. "You…came," were the only words the agent managed to wheeze before passing out once more.

Gibbs gently squeezed DiNozzo's good arm. "Yeah, Tony, I did." Inwardly Gibbs was cursing himself for not arriving sooner. _And if it hadn't been for me you wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place,_ he thought furiously.

"Where the hell are those ambulances?!" Gibbs barked. He was extremely worried about Tony, whose lips and fingernails were a disturbing shade of blue. From past experience he knew that meant his senior agent wasn't getting enough oxygen, and given the way Tony was currently working for each breath he wasn't surprised.

"Coming, sir! Should be here in five!" called one of the NPD officers, Gibbs didn't know which. At this point he didn't much care.

Tony shuddered and gasped under Gibbs' hands. The younger man suddenly began to cough and then gag, and Gibbs rolled him onto his side so that he didn't choke. Tony continued retching and wheezing as the lead agent rubbed his back.

"It's okay, Tony," the older man said firmly. "You're going to be okay. Do you hear me? You are not going to die." The words were confident, but for once in his life Gibbs was not. Anthony DiNozzo seemed to have a knack for getting himself into trouble, and had commented recently that he was running out of lives. Gibbs did not want to contemplate that Tony might someday be right about that. _Today will not be that day_, he silently vowed.

Finally Gibbs saw a welcome sight – the paramedics had arrived, one team for each of his men. As they got to work he backed out of the way to give them room.

DiNozzo happened to regain consciousness just as one of the EMTs put an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. His glassy eyes reflected panic and confusion and he began to fight the paramedics' efforts to help him. Gibbs knelt back on the ground beside Tony's head and gently stroked the younger man's hair.

"Take it easy," Gibbs soothed. "They're trying to help. You're hurting, I know, but let them work. I'm right here. I'm not leaving. Just take it easy." Thankfully, his quiet words settled the injured man almost at once. The lead paramedic looked gratefully at Gibbs.

The EMTs working on McGee had an easier time and they were ready to move out. Whitten went with them, assuring Gibbs that he would stay with the junior agent. "My officers will finish up here," Whitten continued, "just worry about your man, all right? We'll take care of everything else." Gibbs again nodded his thanks to the sergeant, who was helping negotiate Tim's stretcher over the uneven ground.

Gibbs watched them leave before returning his attention to DiNozzo. The paramedics had managed to get an IV going but were very concerned about the amount of blood the agent had lost. "Time to go," the lead EMT said, and his colleague agreed.

They gently loaded the semi-conscious agent onto a stretcher and strapped him down, being mindful of his badly damaged left arm. Despite their care, Tony moaned softly and began to cough. It was obvious that he was struggling tremendously to get any air into his lungs at all. The paramedics exchanged a glance, and quietly warned Gibbs that they may have to intubate if his breathing deteriorated much more.

"Just do whatever you need to," the lead agent said gruffly.

With Gibbs' help the paramedics managed to keep from jostling Tony too much on the way to the ambulance. They got him settled inside and closed the doors. As they sped down the road with lights and sirens blazing, Gibbs leaned in close to his senior agent.

"Hey. Tony, can you hear me?" Green eyes opened slightly and rolled in Gibbs' direction. "You hang in there. Don't you dare die on me. You fight this." Tony's eyelids slipped closed again and he gave no indication that he had heard the lead agent's words. "Dammit, Tony, don't do this to me. Come on. You will not die!" Gibbs knew that he sounded desperate, but was way beyond caring about appearances. He was not going to lose DiNozzo. Not like this. Not because of some revenge-seeking madman. They had played that game once already, and that time he'd almost lost Tony to the plague. Gibbs closed his eyes. _It always comes back to that, doesn't it, DiNozzo? Wrong place, wrong time. Story of your life. I'm sorry, Tony. This one is because of me._

A blaring alarm ended his reverie and Gibbs watched in terror as the paramedic started chest compressions.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hope y'all are enjoying the story, evil cliffhangers notwithstanding! :) Disclaimer for this chapter: I'm not a doctor, nurse, or any other sort of medical professional. Please keep that in mind and go easy on me. Also, still don't own NCIS. Sad but true. -abby

**********

Time had lost all meaning for Gibbs. After Tony's heart stopped in the ambulance everything was just a blur. The paramedics were mercifully able to keep Tony alive until they reached the hospital and Gibbs could recall rushing down the halls of the emergency room with his agent as far as he was permitted. Too stunned to put up a fight, Gibbs allowed himself to be roughly pushed back into the hallway while a flurry of doctors and nurses surrounded DiNozzo.

Since then, Gibbs had taken to pacing the waiting room. He didn't know what else to do. After calling Ziva, Ducky and a very hysterical Abby there was nothing left to do but wait. And worry about his agents. There had not yet been word on McGee's condition either, and Sergeant Whitten was sitting in the waiting room watching as Gibbs paced.

The sergeant did not know Tim McGee or Tony DiNozzo, but he knew how he would feel if it were his team in this mess. He couldn't do much, but he could stay with Gibbs until the rest of the man's colleagues arrived from Washington. He had decided that the lead NCIS agent should not be left to cope alone. _There's a close bond with DiNozzo for sure, _Whitten mused. It was certainly more than the normal boss/employee relationship, and for reasons he could not fully explain the sergeant felt compelled to stay and see this through.

_Tony will be okay. He's strong, he'll be fine._ Gibbs kept repeating those words to himself, over and over again like some sort of mantra. As if he kept thinking them he could will them to be true.

"Special Agent Gibbs?" a young woman stood in the doorway and quietly addressed the NCIS agent. She nodded an acknowledgment to Whitten, whom she had met before. "I'm Dr. Lucan, I've been working on Special Agent McGee."

Gibbs paused in his pacing. "Well? How is he?" he demanded gruffly.

"He's stable. He has a severe concussion, but I'm cautiously optimistic that he will make a full recovery. The next several hours will tell us more. He has yet to regain consciousness, but I'm hopeful that he will soon. Unfortunately, only time will tell with this sort of head injury." Dr. Lucan seemed confident, and Gibbs relaxed marginally.

"Can I see him?" The lead agent wanted to know.

"Absolutely. I'll have a nurse show you the way." Dr. Lucan turned to leave, but then stopped. "I can check on your other agent if you would like," she offered kindly.

Gibbs was surprised at the offer but immediately accepted. The doctor nodded and stepped out of the waiting area, and shortly after she left a nurse entered and led Gibbs down the hall to McGee's room. Sergeant Whitten followed at a respectful distance, and waited patiently in the hallway as Gibbs went inside.

The junior agent looked pale and fragile in the hospital bed. Tim's head was wrapped in white bandages and he had cuts and dark bruising around his right eye. He was hooked up to IV fluids and a heart monitor beeped steadily, if somewhat slowly. Gibbs sighed, and eased his exhausted body into the bedside chair.

"You did good, Tim," Gibbs said softly. "I saw the bandages on Tony's arm. Thanks for taking care of him for me."

The lead agent was not expecting a response from the unconscious man, and of course did not receive one. Gibbs sat in contemplative silence, just watching McGee sleep, until Dr. Lucan poked her head inside the door.

"I checked on Special Agent DiNozzo." The ER doctor shifted uncomfortably. "His attending physician is Dr. West, who is one of our best. Your man is in very good hands," Dr. Lucan assured him.

Gibbs could tell the young doctor was avoiding the real issue. "Just tell me how bad," he demanded impatiently.

Dr. Lucan sighed. "He's alive, but lost a great deal of blood which no doubt contributed to his heart failure. They're giving him transfusions. It took almost 60 stitches to close up the wounds on his arm, and Dr. West is concerned about the possibility of nerve damage although he feels that the infection is under control." She watched the NCIS agent rub his temples wearily before she continued. "One of his lungs had collapsed, due in part to a badly broken rib, and it seems that now he has developed a chest infection as well."

"He's had pneumonic plague," Gibbs said absently. "They said he'll always be susceptible."

The doctor looked surprised, but to her credit did not ask for further explanation. She simply replied, "He is stable but critical. They're moving him up to ICU so he can be closely monitored." Dr. Lucan anticipated Gibbs' question and continued, "I've arranged for you to be allowed in his room at all times. It's not standard policy, but I heard the paramedics say what a calming effect you seem to have on Agent DiNozzo. Follow me, please." Dr. Lucan turned and led the way. Gibbs caught Whitten's eye and nodded his thanks as the sergeant stepped into McGee's room. The NCIS agent did not know why Whitten had stayed, but was glad that McGee would have someone to sit with him until Abby, Ziva and Ducky arrived.

Gibbs' first look at his senior agent came as a shock. Intellectually he understood that Tony was in bad shape, but even so he was emotionally unprepared for the sight before him. _Aw hell, DiNozzo,_ was all he could think.

DiNozzo was hooked up to half a dozen monitors and IVs, one of which was replacing some of the blood he had lost. The others were presumably giving him fluids and antibiotics to fight off his various infections. Tony's normally tan complexion looked gray and there was an endotrachial tube running down his throat. Gibbs gestured toward the tube.

"Is that necessary? I thought you fixed his collapsed lung." The question was directed at Dr. West, who had been quietly assessing his patient when Gibbs and Lucan arrived. Gibbs knew that DiNozzo would fight the tube as soon as he came to, and wanted to protect his agent from any additional suffering. Tony had been through enough already.

Dr. West exchanged a quick glance with his colleague before answering. "He **is** breathing on his own, but with some difficulty. The tube is just there to make it easier on him for now. We can take it out as soon as he regains consciousness, if he's up to it."

Gibbs accepted that and continued his visual examination. His agent's semi-exposed chest was wrapped in thick bandages to protect his broken rib, and his left arm was bandaged from his hand almost all the way up to his shoulder. The lead agent grimaced as he remembered how many stitches were hidden under those dressings.

Dr. West answered his next question before Gibbs even had the chance to ask. "I believe Dr. Lucan already mentioned to you that there may be some nerve damage, but I'm confident it is not too severe. I do not believe there will be mobility issues. At worst maybe some loss of sensation in that arm, but nothing he can't learn to live with. Certainly nothing to impair his ability to work."

_Thank God for that much,_ Gibbs thought as he closed his eyes with relief. He knew that any loss of mobility would end DiNozzo's career, and for the young man that would be a fate almost worse than death. _Maybe you're not out of "almosts" just yet, Tony._

Dr. Lucan and Dr. West conferred quietly for a few moments before West spoke to Gibbs again.

"Overall, I would say Agent DiNozzo is very lucky. He's not out of danger yet - not by a long shot - but if he makes it through the night I will feel a lot better about his chances for survival." Dr. West was blunt, but Gibbs appreciated the candor. "I'll be back to check on him in a few hours. The nurses will be monitoring from their station, please call them if you need anything at all."

The two doctors said their goodbyes, and Gibbs was left to see his agent through what promised to be a very long night.


	11. Chapter 11

Gibbs wasn't sure if it was the smell of fresh coffee or the gentle hand on his shoulder that awakened him. Either way, he awoke with a start to find he had dozed off at Tony's bedside. He looked up groggily to discover Ducky standing over him, offering a very welcome cup of coffee.

"For you, Jethro," the elderly ME said. "How is young Anthony doing?" After handing off the coffee Dr. Mallard reached over to pick up Tony's chart.

"I really thought I'd lost him this time, Duck," Gibbs said wearily. He took a large swig of the warm coffee. "But he's hanging in there."

"Yes, well, Anthony is quite the fighter, isn't he?" Ducky replied. But after reviewing the information in the young man's chart, the ME was honestly amazed that he had survived this latest misadventure. _ Although I suppose I shouldn't be. Anthony is nothing if not full of surprises, _Dr. Mallard thought.

"Where are Ziva and Abby?" Gibbs asked.

"Given the circumstances, I thought it prudent to check on Anthony's condition before allowing Abigail to see him," Ducky said knowingly. "She and Ziva are with Timothy. We met a very nice police sergeant by the name of Whitten, he said to tell you he'll be back tomorrow to check in."

Gibbs nodded. "I owe him one. He took care of McGee so I could stay with DiNozzo. Any change in Tim's condition?"

Dr. Mallard shook his head. "Timothy has yet to regain consciousness but given the head trauma, it is still early yet. Do not worry, Jethro. He'll be just fine."

After taking another sip from his coffee, Gibbs sighed. "I am worried, Duck."

"I know, Jethro. So am I." Dr. Mallard agreed.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the rhythmic motion of the ventilator that was helping their colleague - their friend - breathe. Moments later, Tony started to stir and both men immediately rose to their feet.

"I'll get his doctor," Ducky said as he left the room.

Gibbs leaned forward and placed his right hand gently on Tony's good arm, carefully heeding the various IV lines. He hoped his touch would calm the younger man, who he knew would start fighting once he discovered the endotrachial tube. Gibbs lightly stroked Tony's hair with his other hand as the senior field agent slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey," Gibbs said softly. "You had me scared for a while there."

At first Tony looked confused by his surroundings, but as Gibbs had predicted a look of panic flashed in his green eyes as soon as he became aware of the ventilator. He began weakly struggling under Gibbs' grasp, trying to free his hand and pull out the tube.

"Tony. Settle down. I know you don't like it. I understand. We'll see about getting it out, okay?" Gibbs kept a firm but gentle hold on Tony's arm. "Take it easy."

Finally the younger man relaxed slightly. "Good job," Gibbs praised him.

Just then the door to DiNozzo's room opened and Ducky entered, followed closely by Dr. West and a nurse. The nurse began checking Tony's vitals as West introduced himself to his patient. Tony blinked and slid his eyes toward his boss.

"He wants the tube out," Gibbs said at once.

Dr. West sighed. "I know that I said we could take it out when he woke up, but I would really prefer that we leave it in for a while at least. His lungs are weak and he needs to rest. I'm concerned that it will delay his recovery if he's working too hard to breathe. I can sedate him if we need to."

Gibbs felt Tony tense under his hands as the doctor spoke. He glanced down at his senior agent and saw the look of desperation in his eyes. Even though Tony couldn't speak around the tube, Gibbs could clearly hear his agent's plea. He squeezed Tony's arm and pulled Dr. West out of earshot.

"I may not be a doctor, but I know DiNozzo. Trust me, he'll do better if he doesn't feel trapped by that tube down his throat. Stress isn't going to help him breathe any easier. If it is at all possible, we need to take it out." Gibbs was soft but firm.

Dr. West looked unconvinced. "He'll still need to be on oxygen."

"He's had respiratory issues in the past. He knows the drill." Gibbs agreed readily.

The attending physician grudgingly acquiesced, with the understanding that Tony would again be intubated if he showed signs of distress. He sent the nurse to get some water.

"Agent DiNozzo, your boss talked me into extubating you against my better judgment. You have to promise me that if you have any trouble breathing that you'll let us know right away. If you're ready, I need you to take as deep a breath as you can and blow out on my mark, okay?" West said, not unkindly.

Tony's nod was small, but it was there. West nodded in return.

"Okay. Let's do it. Deep breath, and blow!" Dr. West pulled out the tube in one swift movement.

Tony gasped and coughed a few times as he adjusted to breathing on his own once more. His throat felt dry and scratchy and the nurse offered him a sip of water through a straw. The water helped, and his breathing settled as Gibbs helped him lean back against the pillow. An oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth, and for once Tony was actually grateful. While he certainly hadn't wanted that awful tube down his throat anymore, he also didn't quite feel up to breathing completely without assistance just yet.

DiNozzo lay quietly as Dr. West and the nurse made a few adjustments and notes to his chart, then he was left in peace with Gibbs and Dr. Mallard once more. Ducky also took his leave, using the excuse of checking in with Ziva and Abby. He knew that Gibbs would want to sit with Tony alone for a little while.

"How you doing?" Gibbs' voice was soft. He sounded exhausted.

"Good," Tony weakly replied, but could barely hear his own muffled response through the oxygen mask. He began to lift his hand with the intention of moving it aside, but never made it that far. Gibbs gently pushed his hand back down and carefully moved the mask himself. "Good," Tony repeated. Gibbs replaced the mask with a snort of derision.

"Yeah, you look real good." The lead agent rubbed his hands down his face. "God, you scared the crap out of me, Tony. I almost lost you. For a minute there I really thought I had."

Tony managed to lift the oxygen mask aside without assistance this time. He spoke slowly and his voice was raspy. "S'ok, Boss. Can't…get rid…of me that...easily."

The gentle smack to the top of Tony's head was not completely unexpected. He smiled faintly as Gibbs replaced the mask once more. His eyelids began to droop and he was just about to drift off when he remembered something important. _Probie…_

Gibbs watched his senior agent fondly. DiNozzo was almost asleep when suddenly his eyes snapped open. He looked agitated and was struggling to pull the oxygen mask off his face again. "Dammit, DiNozzo! Leave that thing alone or I'm going to call Dr. West back in here with the tube!" Gibbs snapped at the younger man before he realized what Tony was murmuring over and over.

The lead agent squeezed Tony's shoulder reassuringly. "Hey. Tim is alive. He hit his head, that's all. Gave himself a pretty bad concussion. He'll be fine." _If he ever wakes up,_ Gibbs added mentally.

That was all it took. A look of relief passed across the senior field agent's face before his eyelids fluttered closed and sleep claimed him.


	12. Chapter 12

At first Tim wasn't quite sure where he was or what had happened. The last thing he remembered was hoisting a very ill Tony onto his shoulders and then everything just went blank. _I'm not cold anymore, that's definitely good, but my head sure hurts,_ Tim thought before even opening his eyes. _And who's lying next to me?_ Slowly he opened his eyes and groaned softly at the stabbing pain the soft hospital lighting caused.

"Timmy!" Abby exclaimed in a loud whisper. "You're awake! I'm so glad!"

Once his eyes had somewhat adjusted to the light he was able to make out her tear-stained face, inches away from his as she lay curled in the bed next to him. Ziva stood behind the forensic scientist. They were both smiling and looked very relieved.

"How are you feeling?" Ziva kept her voice low.

"Um, kind of confused. My head really hurts," Tim said quietly, closing his eyes as he spoke.

Ziva squeezed his hand gently as she asked what he remembered.

"We were running…Tony was really sick, I had to carry him," McGee's voice was distant. Ziva and Abby exchanged a glance at the revelation. Tim continued, "I think I must have tripped…I couldn't really see. Everything was fuzzy…oh my God, Tony!" Tim gasped in pain as he sat up too quickly. "Is he okay?! He was so sick!"

Abby helped McGee relax back against the pillow. "Tony's here in the hospital too, Timmy," she soothed. "Gibbs is with him." Abby didn't really know much beyond that so she looked toward Ducky, who had quietly stepped back into the room.

"Timothy! How are you doing, young man? You had us all quite worried." Ducky also spoke softly, knowing how painful a concussion as severe as McGee's would be.

"I'm okay, Ducky. How's Tony? He was really sick…he could hardly breathe and he'd lost so much blood…is he okay?" Tim was beginning to panic.

"Take it easy, Timmy," Abby tried to settle him, but in truth she was even more worried. She had not been allowed to see Tony yet, and the last she'd heard he was on a ventilator after his heart stopped. Tears formed in the Goth's large green eyes as she, Ziva and Tim looked at Dr. Mallard expectantly.

Ducky sighed and chose his words carefully, mindful of his audience. "Anthony woke up a few moments ago. He immediately began to fight the ventilator, so his doctor agreed to remove it for now." The three faces in front of him looked so hopeful and relieved that the medical examiner hated to add the rest. "But it is important that we all realize that he is not out of the woods yet. His heart stopped, and he's got fluid in his lungs. That can be very dangerous for someone with his history." Dr. Mallard sighed again. "We'll just have to give it time. But Anthony is a fighter. You three know precisely how stubborn he can be. He won't give up, so we mustn't either."

Since he was unconscious at the time McGee had not known how badly things had deteriorated with DiNozzo, and at hearing that his partner's heart had stopped Tim visibly paled.

Ducky noticed the reaction and assured him, "Timothy, do not worry. His heart stopped due to blood loss and shock, and he has been receiving blood transfusions since his arrival here. He was lucid, if extremely weak, when I saw him a few moments ago. I have every reason to believe that our dear Anthony will be just fine."

Tim did not look convinced. "Can I see him?" the junior agent asked. "I just…I need to see him. I want to tell him I'm sorry."

Ziva was confused. "Sorry for what, McGee? You could not possibly have done anything wrong." Abby and Ducky nodded their agreement.

"Tony wanted me to leave him! He was hurting so bad and he wanted me to save myself, and I just ignored him and threw him over my shoulders. He was in so much pain. I bet he is so mad at me and he has every right to be!" McGee's diatribe caused a spike of pain in his already throbbing skull, and he closed his eyes again.

Abby's tear-filled eyes finally spilled over and she sobbed, "Timmy! How can you think that?! You saved his life! You could never have just left him there to die! I'm sure Tony is not mad at you!"

At that, Ziva nodded. "Besides, Gibbs would have killed you for leaving him behind." There was a note of lighthearted teasing in her words, but her companions knew there was truth behind the statement.

McGee chuckled softly and winced at the pain it caused. "I told him the exact same thing," remembering his words to the senior agent when they first climbed out of the underground prison. The memory brought another round of questions to mind. "Did they catch the guy that was chasing us? Wait, how did we get here anyway? Who found us?"

He got a gentle punch in the arm for the last inquiry. Abby was most indignant as she said "Gibbs found you, silly! Norfolk PD located the psycho's truck near where you guys crashed and Gibbs heard Tony yelling in the forest and shot the guy just in time! He was about to stab Tony again!"

Tim started. "What do you mean, he was about to stab Tony **again**?" McGee didn't like the sound of that, and it just cemented his need to see the senior agent right away. "Ducky. Can I see him? I just really need to talk to him."

For once, the elderly ME seemed to be at a loss for words. "He is in critical condition in the ICU. You also need to rest, and I don't think..."

Abby interrupted. "I think we'd all feel a lot better if we could see him, Ducky. Just for a few minutes. Please?"

Even Ziva joined in. "I know it is late, Ducky, and Tony is probably sleeping, but we just want to see for ourselves that he is still alive. We will be quiet, I promise."

Dr. Mallard knew when he was fighting a losing battle and sighed for the third time in as many minutes. "I'll see what I can do. I would prefer that you rest, Timothy, but I understand. I'll go speak to Anthony's doctor and see what I can arrange." He turned and left the room.

"What happened to you guys out there, Timmy? Gibbs is so worried about Tony that he hasn't told us anything. Ziva and I haven't even talked to him since we got here!" Abby wrung her hands nervously, but her questions fell on deaf ears. McGee had already fallen asleep.

The forensic scientist looked at Ziva. The two women didn't need to exchange words to know that each was as concerned as the other. They feared it was going to be a long road to recovery for both McGee and DiNozzo.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Standard disclaimers apply, blah blah, still not a doctor, nor do I own NCIS or any of its characters. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please read and review! –abby

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Gibbs was dozing lightly at Tony's bedside when a nurse came in to check his agent's vitals. The young nurse apologized when she realized Gibbs was awake.

"Not a problem," he assured her. "How's the patient?"

The nurse rattled off DiNozzo's blood pressure, pulse rate and a few other stats before noticing the baffled look on Gibbs' face. She smiled apologetically and switched gears. "He is doing as well as can be expected, sir. However, his breathing is still not quite where Dr. West would like, even with the oxygen mask. I'm afraid we may have to intubate him again if his levels don't improve soon."

Gibbs sighed and rubbed his forehead to try and ward off the threatening migraine. He felt so helpless and frustrated. _Tony is lying in that bed hovering between life and death because of something in __**my**__ past, _Gibbs thought angrily. _Bankston wanted revenge on __**me**__, Tony and Tim had nothing to do with it. If Tony doesn't make it I will never forgive myself._

The young woman finished making notes in Tony's chart and smiled understandingly at Gibbs. "I'll be back in 30 minutes to check on him again. Please let me know if you need anything in the meantime." She closed the door quietly behind her.

Gibbs stood up and stretched out the kinks caused by spending several hours asleep in a hospital chair. He began to pace the room. The lead agent wanted some coffee, but no way was he leaving DiNozzo alone. Just then he noticed that Tony was awake and watching him pace. Gibbs immediately went to the younger man's side.

"Hey. How ya doing?" Gibbs' tone was soft and gentle, the same voice he used with frightened children.

Tony's eyelids flickered as he gathered his strength to reply. He wanted to tell Gibbs that it hurt. That he could hardly find the energy to draw breath. That every inhalation was agonizing and he felt as though he was suffocating. "Hurts…" Tony managed, though he was so weak that Gibbs had to lean in close to hear.

The concern was clear on the older man's face as he asked "What hurts, Tony? Your arm?" Gibbs didn't wait for a response and hit the call button for the nurses' station.

Tony shook his head slightly and tried to keep breathing over the crushing pain in his chest. He did not have the chance to answer. Several nurses rushed into the room all at once, followed closely by Dr. West and Ducky.

Gibbs was pushed aside as they began assessing DiNozzo. Dr. West asked for an update. "I don't know. He woke up and said that it hurt," the stress in Gibbs' voice was thinly veiled. Ducky calmly led his old friend to a corner of the room, out of the medical team's way. They worriedly watched the frenzied activity until Dr. West turned around. The doctor's relief was evident.

"It's okay," the attending physician said. "I think he's just having a bad reaction to the pain medication. We've adjusted the dosage for now and will try him on something different. More than anything else I think he was panicking because his reaction to the drugs was making it harder for him to breathe."

Gibbs relaxed slightly at the doctor's words, then asked, "Do you need to put the tube back in?"

Dr. West shook his head. "I don't think so, not right now. I have to tell you, Agent Gibbs, I've never seen anything quite like it. This young man is just about the most determined I've ever seen. The condition he was in when he arrived…I'm honestly amazed that he's made it this far. I'm not one to give false hope so please believe me when I say I really think that Agent DiNozzo is going to be just fine. He's got a long way to go but I'm confident he'll get there."

Gibbs grinned. "He's a stubborn SOB for sure."

"He learned from the best, Jethro," commented Ducky with an amused chuckle. "He learned from the best."

Once the nurses and Dr. West finished up and left the room, DiNozzo turned his head in the direction of the two older men. "Sorry, Boss," he croaked with some effort.

Gibbs was pleased to see that the bulky oxygen mask over Tony's nose and mouth had been replaced by a more comfortable nasal cannula. The younger man was still pale and fragile, but finally beginning to look a little more like the Tony they all knew.

"Damn straight, DiNozzo," Gibbs barked in response, but his fond smile betrayed the words. "You've scared the hell out of me too many times in the last couple days."

Ducky spoke up. "How are you feeling, Anthony? Specifically, are you up for some visitors? Ziva, Abigail and Timothy are very concerned about you and they sent me up here to arrange a visit. Rather forcefully, I might add."

Gibbs looked at the elderly ME in surprise. "Tim's awake? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ah, yes, Jethro, I do apologize. I was on my way to tell you when we found ourselves in the midst of some excitement here," Dr. Mallard patted Tony's good hand. "So what do you think, Anthony? Are you up for it? I must say, I'm afraid to face Abigail if she doesn't get to see you soon."

Tony smiled weakly. He knew that Abby had probably been a handful ever since she got the news. He nodded carefully. "Yeah," he rasped. "Sounds good."

Ducky smiled in return and headed off to round up their colleagues, leaving Gibbs and DiNozzo alone once again.

"How **are** you feeling, Tony?" asked the lead agent. "And I want the truth. None of that macho bull that you usually try to give me."

Tony's weak chuckle turned into a quiet cough. "Feel like crap." He closed his eyes momentarily before continuing, "but I'll survive."

That had been the answer Gibbs was waiting for. Hours of tension and worry instantly melted away as he affectionately teased, "You better, DiNozzo, or I'll kill you myself."


	14. Chapter 14

Gibbs knew it would take Ducky a while to get McGee, Abby and Ziva collected and up to ICU. He sat back down in the chair he'd been occupying for the last several hours. Tony seemed to have fallen asleep, so Gibbs leaned back and propped his legs on the undercarriage of the hospital bed. The lead agent had been sitting silently for a few moments when he noticed DiNozzo looking at him.

"Something on your mind?" Gibbs asked the younger man.

Tony nodded. He licked his parched lips and took as deep a breath as he was able. "Thanks, Boss." His voice was still hoarse and hardly more than a whisper.

"What the hell are you thanking me for?" Gibbs' concern for his agent caused his voice to have a sharper edge than he intended. He softened his tone. "You shouldn't be thanking me. I'm the reason for all this."

Tony was confused by that. He knew he'd been out of it, but did not understand how Gibbs had possibly been responsible for his current situation. Clearly he was missing something. He narrowed his eyes at his boss. "How…" was all he could manage, but knew that Gibbs would get the point.

Sure enough, the lead agent sighed and explained, "The bastard that kidnapped you and Tim - John Allen Bankston - was seeking revenge on me. I put his brother away years ago, and he was killed in prison recently. Bankston was mentally unstable and I guess that was what finally drove him right over the edge. He wanted to make me suffer for what happened to his brother." Gibbs rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Tony closed his eyes. _So that's what this was all about. Of course it's not Gibbs' fault that some lunatic from his past decided to kidnap me and McGee. But there's no way I'll be able to convince him of that, _Tony thought._ Except…_he opened his eyes again and fixed his boss in a stare. Tony summoned every bit of strength that he had left in his body and pointedly asked, "Where is he now?"

"Dead. He was about to knife you again so I shot him." Gibbs' response was matter-of-fact.

"Told you. Thanks." Tony was quiet but unmistakeably firm.

Gibbs couldn't help but chuckle at his senior agent. DiNozzo was about the only person he'd ever met who would go toe-to-toe with him like that. It was one of the things he admired most about the young man. He shook his head bemusedly. "Point taken."

Tony smiled. _Good,_ he thought. There were still a few unanswered questions about the whole Bankston thing, but he wasn't going to waste his limited breath on that right now. It could wait. _I'm more concerned with how long I'll be out of commission._

Tony gathered himself once more and was about to ask when Gibbs stopped him. The lead agent could see the question in DiNozzo's eyes and placed a gentle hand on his chest, being careful of the bandages. "Hey. You're going to be fine, but it is going to take some time, okay? Don't push it. There's no hurry."

DiNozzo wasn't going to settle for that. "Pretty bad?" he croaked.

Gibbs sighed. He should have expected that the younger man would want the full damage report. "Sixty stitches in your arm. Possible nerve damage, but no permanent impairment. Broken rib, collapsed lung, chest infection and you do realize that your heart stopped?" At the surprised look on Tony's face the lead agent paused. He quietly continued, "They didn't think you were going to make it."

Tony remembered what his boss had said before, about being scared of losing him. He knew Gibbs cared about him and had his six, but suddenly realized exactly how important he was to the older man. He weakly smiled his gratitude at Gibbs, who patted Tony's shoulder affectionately. "I've put too much effort into your training to lose you now," the lead agent said gruffly.

Tony chuckled softly as the door opened and Abby and Ziva entered. They were followed by Ducky, who was steering a wheelchair-bound McGee.

Abby rushed over to the bed, where she immediately hugged Gibbs and started fussing over DiNozzo. "Tony! We were so worried! How are you?" Her hands fluttered anxiously as she tried to decide where to put them. She clearly wanted to give Tony a hug but was afraid of hurting him. Tony put the Goth scientist out of her misery by reaching up with his good hand and grabbing both of hers. She squeezed his fingers in relief and carefully perched on the edge of the bed.

"It is good to see you, Tony. Abby is right, we were very concerned." As always, Ziva was far more reserved than the excitable Abby but her relief was just as apparent. Tony smiled at her. As glad as he was to see everyone again, he was tired and in pain and simply didn't have the strength to engage in a lot of conversation. There was one person, however, that he did want to speak with.

Tim had been sitting quietly in his wheelchair ever since Ducky parked him next to the bed. He had yet to make eye contact with Tony and in fact appeared to feel...guilty? Tony momentarily wondered about that before recalling their long-ago conversation in the forest. Suddenly realization dawned. _He's afraid I'm mad at him,_ Tony thought. _He thinks I'm pissed because he didn't leave me behind like I wanted. God, Probie. What am I going to do with you?  
_

Tony sighed, then caught Gibbs' eye. He glanced at Tim meaningfully and his boss immediately got the message.

"Come on," Gibbs said as he grabbed Abby's arm to help her off the bed. "I need some coffee." Ziva and Ducky understood what Gibbs was doing but he had to practically drag Abby away from Tony's side. "Come on, Abbs," he coaxed. She grudgingly followed her three colleagues out of the room, leaving McGee and DiNozzo alone.

Once it was just the two of them, Tim finally acknowledged his injured partner. He tried to open with an apology. "Tony, I'm sorry..." but trailed off at Tony's slowly shaking head.

"No." Tony was struggling to speak. "Thank you for saving my life." DiNozzo's voice was all but gone but he knew McGee could hear him.

"It's probably my fault that your lung collapsed. I shouldn't have picked you up like that. I'm sorry." For some reason Tim was insistent on blaming himself for Tony's condition and refused to accept the sincere gratitude.

DiNozzo briefly closed his eyes in frustration. He really wasn't up to arguing with the junior agent but he couldn't let this go, either. "Shut up, Probie." Tony was fading fast and Tim had to lean in to hear the senior agent's rough whisper. "I said thank you and I meant it." DiNozzo locked the younger man in his best impression of the infamous Gibbs glare before running out of strength completely and suddenly dozing off.

Tim gave in and finally smiled at his sleeping friend. "You're welcome, Tony."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I think this is it - the last chapter! Please review! I had a hard time wrapping this story up for some reason so let me know if you like the ending I finally settled on. As always, I really appreciate all of the reviews and alerts. And of course I still don't own NCIS or any of its lovely characters. -abby

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Tim was still quietly sitting at Tony's bedside fifteen minutes later when his colleagues returned. Gibbs, cup of coffee in hand, silently moved up beside McGee. He sat down next to the junior agent.

"I didn't get the chance to ask before…how are you doing?" The lead agent gently tilted McGee's head to the side so he could appraise the bruising around the young man's eye.

"I'm okay, Boss. Just a headache is all, vision's almost back to normal. I'm more worried about Tony." Tim looked toward the senior field agent, who was sound asleep and perfectly still except for the slow rise and fall of his bandaged chest.

"He's going to be fine, Tim. You did a good job looking out for him." Gibbs' quiet praise was hard for the junior agent to accept and Tim looked away sheepishly. He still felt guilty for causing DiNozzo more pain, although clearly Tony wasn't planning on holding it against him.

"He would have done the same for me," McGee replied dismissively. "Boss, what happened after I hit my head? Tony and I were trying to run, there was someone coming." Tim closed his eyes, remembering, "He knew he was slowing me down and stopped. I wasn't going to leave him behind so I put him over my shoulders and kept running, but then I fell and don't remember anything after that." McGee looked at Gibbs.

Tim wasn't the only one with questions – the lead agent had plenty of them himself. He had yet to speak with Sergeant Whitten to get a final debrief and there were a lot of puzzle pieces missing. First and foremost, Gibbs did not understand where his agents had been held captive, and how they had ended up running from Bankston through the forest.

Evidently Abby was wondering too, because she cut in before Gibbs had a chance to open his mouth. "Okay, hold up," she said. "Where did the kidnapper take you after the crash? I know you were gassed through the car's air conditioning system, Norfolk's forensic lab confirmed that. But you crashed into that stream and then what?"

At that point it occurred to Gibbs that none of his team knew why Tony and Tim had been kidnapped in the first place, or Gibbs' own connection to their captor. _This is a mess,_ he thought in frustration. _None of us knows the whole story. Well, except DiNozzo, _he suddenly realized. _I told him about Bankston already and he was there for the rest. He's the only one who knows what happened right after Tim was knocked out. _Gibbs glanced over at his senior field agent before explaining his part of the story in the usual terse style.

Their reactions were about what he could have predicted: quiet acceptance from Ziva, a gasp of shock from Abby, a thoughtful nod from Ducky. However, it was the complete silence from McGee that concerned Gibbs.

Gibbs addressed the junior field agent. "I'm sorry you got involved in this, Tim. It didn't have anything to do with you. Bankston wanted to get back at me and didn't care who he hurt in the process."

Tim looked momentarily startled, then nodded. "I understand, Boss. It wasn't your fault. I'm just trying to fill in the blanks. Was it Bankston chasing us through the woods?" At Gibbs' nod of confirmation, McGee went on to explain how he and Tony had been locked in the underground bunker and left Bankston there after their escape. "I just don't understand how he got out. Tony examined the whole cell, there was nothing. No windows, not even a doorknob on the inside, and I locked the door as we left." Tim was still very confused.

"I think I can help with that," a new voice said. Sergeant Whitten had quietly stepped into the room while McGee was giving his report. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I stopped by to speak with Agent Gibbs and see how things were going."

Gibbs stood up and shook the sergeant's hand. He formally introduced Whitten to McGee, who had been unconscious the last time the two met.

"How is Agent DiNozzo?" the Norfolk detective inquired, gesturing toward the sleeping man.

"He's in pretty rough shape, but he'll make it. What have you got for us?" As usual, Gibbs cut to the chase. He was ready to wrap up the case so that his agents could put it behind them and focus on recovering.

"There was a secret passage in the room, Agent McGee. There's no way you could have found it without already knowing it was there, but when Bankston left he did so in a hurry and the hidden entrance was slightly open. My men discovered it when they secured the underground bunker. The passage leads up into a cave very close to where you and Agent DiNozzo crashed." The sergeant paused thoughtfully. "It's really quite remarkable. Bankston had this whole thing planned down to the last detail. He must have timed the gas release so that you would run off the road near the entrance to his cave, then dragged you both down the passage into the cell." Whitten finished his explanation and waited on the reactions.

Abby whistled. "Nice. A psycho with a plan." Ducky raised an eyebrow and even Ziva looked impressed.

Gibbs wasn't nearly so amused. For something this complex, John Allen Bankston must have been planning almost from the day his brother was incarcerated. The lead NCIS agent did not appreciate the fact that he and his team had been targets for the last eight years. Gibbs felt a stab of guilt once more when he realized that his long-standing fondness for DiNozzo made the senior field agent the likely target of Bankston's vengeance. McGee had not known Gibbs nearly so long and unfortunately just happened to be along for the ride.

Tim listened to Whitten with interest. The sergeant's information helped clear up a lot of the junior agent's remaining confusion, and answered a lot of the questions he had been asking himself after their escape from the cell. As far as Tim was concerned, only one issue remained.

"Boss?" McGee asked. "What happened to Bankston? Abby said that he stabbed Tony and you shot him?" Tim looked at the senior agent and for the first time realized that Tony's left arm was bandaged almost all the way up to his shoulder and not just to the elbow as he had expected.

"He's dead." Gibbs sounded more weary than his team had ever heard him. Ducky took that as his cue to gather Ziva and Abby for help in bundling Tim back to his room.

"Come along Timothy, your doctor is going to have my hide for keeping you out of bed this long. Let's go, shall we? Abigail, Ziva?" Dr. Mallard nodded toward the door as he released the brakes on Tim's wheelchair. The two women said their goodbyes to Gibbs, Whitten and the still-sleeping DiNozzo before holding the door open for Ducky.

After his team had gone, Gibbs turned to face the police detective. "Thank you for staying with McGee. I owe you for that."

Whitten smiled. "You're quite welcome. I don't know why, but it seemed necessary that you stay with DiNozzo. He must be pretty important to you."

Gibbs snorted at the sergeant's observation. "That obvious, huh?"

Tony awakened just in time to hear the exchange. He wasn't sure who the other man in his hospital room was, but certainly was surprised to hear his boss willingly admit to caring about him. In front of a witness, even. _Isn't that a sign of weakness?_ Tony wondered inwardly. _Or something like that._ _Can't remember the exact rule at the moment._ He coughed lightly to get his boss' attention.

Gibbs and Whitten turned to face him. "Hey, DiNozzo. This is Sergeant Whitten of Norfolk PD. His team located Bankston's car and led us to your location."

The sergeant tipped his head in acknowledgment. "Glad I'm getting the chance to actually meet you, for a while there it looked like that wouldn't be possible," Whitten said sincerely.

"So they tell me," Tony replied with some effort.

"Listen, I've taken up enough of your time," the detective said. "I'm going to go. If you wouldn't mind stopping by the station sometime before you leave town, there are a few things I need you to sign. Otherwise, we've got everything pretty much wrapped up. Open and shut, a clean shoot. Glad you're doing better, young man." He smiled at DiNozzo and shook Gibbs' hand once more before taking his leave.

Tony looked at his boss. "Going soft?" he asked. His voice was raspy but held a trace of the mischievous tone that Gibbs knew so very well.

"Nah," Gibbs replied with a gentle cuff to the top of his senior agent's head. "Just figured the cat was already out of the bag."

DiNozzo smiled at that. He didn't know how he had managed to worm his way into Gibbs' seemingly cold heart, but didn't mind being there even if it meant getting injured from time to time. As far as Tony was concerned, any show of affection from the older man was worth every bit of physical pain he might feel along the way.

"You risk losing your reputation as a bastard if you keep it up," Tony baited his boss with a faint grin.

Gibbs grinned in return, a rare look of true happiness that reached his ice blue eyes. The smile faded and lead agent was quiet for a moment. He then tapped Tony under the chin as he simply replied, "Some things are worth the risk."


End file.
